Cast in five trailblazing movements, Symphonie fantastique celebrates Berlioz’s delirious infatuation with the Irish actress Harriet Smithson, who crops up throughout by means of her own musical signature or idée fixe. Berlioz’s opium-induced wild ravings climax in a Witches’ Sabbath finale, which sees Harriet consorting with all manner of ghouls and fiends. It is paired with music by the composer who most influenced him – Beethoven – and by Berlioz’s contemporary and admirer Schumann.

Other Concerts at The Anvil

Orchestra Unwrapped is a concert series for schoolchildren aged 7-11 in Leicester and Basingstoke. The programme offers thousands of children the opportunity to experience live music in an engaging and exciting way, accompanied by the educational resources to fully understand it.
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